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Cheryl Hines Issue

ABILITY Magazine Cover Cheryl Hines issue

CVS — Leveling the Playground for All Kids

Circa 2008 The folks over at CVS Pharmacy aren’t so busy filling prescriptions that they don’t have time to get in their charitable work. With their CVS Caremark All Kids Can program, they have committed more than $2 million in 2006 and 2007 to Boundless Playgrounds, offering children of all abilities accessible places nationwide to … Read more

Motorcycle Safety — Air Bags, Helmets, Leatt’s Brace

Circa 2008 PUFF THE MAGIC AIRBAG There’s been an upsurge in deaths on motorcycles in recent years. Though more research is needed to determine exactly why, we do know that sales to Baby Boomers—particularly to people in their 40s and 50s—have taken off in the last 10 years. Some are riding for the first time, … Read more

Humor Therapy — Gone, Baby Gone

Circa 2008 Kids these days… you can’t take ‘em and you can’t shove ‘em under a moving car. At this point in my life I should be saying, “Man, I wish I were a kid again.” But, you know what? I’m not. I don’t like what I’m seeing out there: Hoodlums, punks and brats… oh … Read more

One Boy’s Story — ‘Buy Me Something’

Circa 2008 I live in a world where, “ya ya ya bobba you knees” means “mind your own business,” unless it means “whatever you say.” I live in a world where it’s okay to tear open a card at a birthday or holiday, shake it loose and gripe, “Oh man, no money!” right in front … Read more

Tech Access — A Mother and Son Push Boundaries

Circa 2008 An assistive technology user since he was three years old, S. Forrest Isaacs is now 22 and still making great strides through the assistance of Bluegrass Technology Center, one of Kentucky’s Alliance for Technology Access Centers. Two decades ago, he fell into a bucket of water while still a toddler, and went without … Read more

Green Pages — Warm Tips for Cold Weather

Circa 2008 CHILL OUT A LITTLE Baby it’s cold outside, and who doesn’t want to make sure the cold stays there? Yet heating costs can leave you reeling. Besides, doing something really simple, like putting on a sweater or keeping your furnace in tip-top shape, can help put a serious dent in that exorbitant utility … Read more

Diana & Kathy — A Film About Friendship

Circa 2008 When Diana Braun and Kathy Conour met 38 years ago in a foster home, they never imagined their lives would intertwine and later be documented on film. Now, living in their own home in Springfield, IL, Diana is not only Kathy’s personal assistant, but also her companion and lifelong friend. Here, they answer … Read more

Objective Science — Subjective Scientists

Circa 2008 At a recent conference on spinal cord injury (SCI), a scientist challenged me because I’d written about therapies that had yet to be vetted by the rigorous standards of objective science. It was as if he’d appointed himself sheriff, and deputized his colleagues. As someone who’s been involved in the scientific process for … Read more

George Covington — On the Real Charlie Wilson

Circa 2008 HOLLYWOOD, YOU ALMOST GOT CHARLIE WILSON RIGHT Charlie Wilson’s War is the first movie I’ve seen in a movie theater since Raiders of the Lost Ark. I generally wait for the DVD, because what little eyesight I have left is best saved for viewing DVDs at home. But I couldn’t resist seeing how … Read more

Allen Rucker — On Director Julian Schnabel

Circa 2008 From Salvador Dali to Andy Warhol, many a famous artist has taken a stab at directing movies, with results ranging from the eccentric to the moronic. But worldrenowned painter Julian Schnabel continues to make movies that are accessible and sure-handed. So far, he’s directed three acclaimed features: Basquiat (1993), about another celebrated artist … Read more

Richard Pimentel — The Hidden Job Market

Circa 2008 When I first entered the field of training and placement, I believed that the most-qualified applicant would be hired. I had been taught that the optimum way to help persons with disabilities seek employment was to match their qualifications with the large data base of available job openings. On paper it made sense, … Read more

United Cerebral Palsy — Wheeling Around the World

Circa 2008 Recently, on a dark and stormy afternoon in Quy Nhon, Vietnam, UCP Wheels for Humanity staff, volunteers and in-country partners custom-fitted wheelchairs for the last of a long line of children with disabilities. Many had been carried on their mothers’ or caregivers’ backs through a category 7 typhoon. Within hours, the children rolled … Read more

Cheryl Hines — Ms. Enthusiasm

Cheryl Hines, costar of “Curb Your Enthusiasm”, her friend from high school, and two ABILITY staffers are at a Beverly Hills restaurant, trying to eat their lunch in peace. However, a wrecking machine is munching away at the roof of a building across the street. Although it’s loud and annoying, Hines maintains her focus and … Read more

Ricky James — Part II of Our Exclusive Interview

Circa 2008 When last we sped up to catch road warrior Ricky James, he was gunning it around a Motocross track on a souped-up bike, and enjoying the occasional thrill of a back flip off a 20-foot-high ramp into a forgiving vat of foam. Even with a blow to his T7 vertabrae that paralyzed him … Read more

Headlines — MICROSOFT, ADOBE & MORE

Circa 2008 MICROSOFT, ADOBE & MORE Like the famous Rat Pack featuring Frank Sinatra and his celebrity pals, a group of leading information and assistive technology companies, along with content providers and other key engineering organizations, recently formed the Accessibility Interoperability Alliance (AIA) to help developers create accessible software, hardware and Web products. AIA’s goal … Read more